Top five Jags on film!

By Classic Yorkshire correspondent Tony Lofthouse

Following my last blog (23 Sept) on the end of the road for Jaguar as our Prime Minister’s favoured chauffeur drive, I was struck by this ‘fast cats’ starring role in TV and film in years gone by.

It seems everyone from fictional detectives and iconic heroes to lovable rogues and criminal gangs have all got a taste for a Jag.

Here’s my top five Jaguar moments on TV and the big screen.

Inspector Morse

There was no better fit for the gruff Britishness of Chief Inspector Morse, brilliantly played by John Thaw, than the stylish burgundy red Jaguar Mark 2 he drove. The TV detective’s Jag was launched in 1959 and the Mark 2 model aimed to embody the ideals of ‘grace, pace and space’. 

The 2.4 litre saloon had a top speed of 120 mph and could reach 62 mph in 12 seconds. It also came with options of 3.4 or 3.8 litre engines.

On taking the role of Morse, it’s reported John Thaw insisted he drive a Jaguar rather than a Lancia,  the car the fictional detective drives in Colin Dexter’s original books. The Mark 2 would appear in all 33 Inspector Morse episodes from 1987 to 2000.

Despite its slick looks Thaw, who sadly died from cancer in 2002, once said it was a ‘beggar to drive’.

Jag enthusiasts were quick to point out that Morse’s car has a vinyl roof added when these were not available on the factory-made model, others balked at the burgundy wheel rims.

In 2005 Morse’s Mark 2 sold for over £100,000 – a world record for the model.

Return of the Saint

In the 1970s, the relaunch of the Saint, starring Ian Ogilvy, saw the wealthy do-gooder drive around in the latest XJS sports car. It was the 17th off the production line. 

The 1975 model was powered by a V12 engine and came with manual transmission (one of only 385 manual versions) and a rare factory-made sunroof. The car featured in 20 of the 24 episodes along with two other dealer-sourced XJSs – one with a black interior (used in European filming) and another with automatic transmission. The primary 1975 model had a cinnamon tan leather interior.

After the series run, the original car was sold privately and changed hands a number of times. In 1994 it even ended up in the Shetlands before being bought by a private buyer in England.

Minder

West London dodgy car salesman Arthur Daley (played by George Cole) famously drove a yellow Daimler 4.2 litre Series 3 – one of three Daimlers he drove during the Minder series that ran from 1979 to 1994.

It’s said Cole loved the yellow Daimler so much he tried to buy it, but ITV bosses had other ideas and in 1985 made it top prize in a TV Times competition.

Over the ten series, the TV character would cruise around London in different Series 2 Jaguar XJ6’s, Daimler Double Six models and a Jaguar Sovereign, as well as the odd Rolls Royce.

James Bond

Whilst Jaguars appear in several Bond movies, none are driven by 007.

Two E-Type’s make cameos in Dr No (1962) and Thunderball (1965), whilst the XJ featured in many of the later Bond films including Quantum of Solace and SkyFall.  

In 2002, a 4.2 litre supercharged Jaguar XKR appears in Die Another Day driven by the film’s North Korean baddie, Zao.

Perhaps the most unique ‘Bond’ Jaguar was the C-X75 Concept, featured in Spectre (2015), and developed in partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering – part of the Williams Formula One Group. The car appears in one chase scene which saw Bond (Daniel Craig) getting his revenge by setting the car on fire. A handful of C-X75 stunt cars were used in the film, but sadly the car would never go into production.

It’s fair to say Jaguar seem to have had a villainous history with Bond (with the odd exception) and that continued in the latest 007 outing, No Time to Die (2021). This time, two Jaguar XF sedans chase Bond in a dramatic chase scene filmed in Matera, Italy.

The Italian Job

This 1969 film might be forever remembered for the fleet of Minis, but did you know two E-Types joined an Aston Martin in an all too brief appearance? Unfortunately, the cars come to a sticky end in a mountainside confrontation with the Mafia.

The E-Types were a black fixed head coupe and a red roadster. The 3.8 litre roadster is still believed to be on the road today and has appeared in an episode of Top Gear. The 1962 coupe has also been restored.

There are plenty of other examples of these ‘Coventry cats’ captured on TV and film. I could have added The Sweeney series , Austin Powers (1997) and Love Actually (2003) to name another three!

Do you have a memorable classic car appearance on TV or film? Why not post a comment with your favourite?